Judicial accuracy spotlighted as court revises 'Breaking Bad' drug case rulings

A Chinese court's decision to revise the ruling in a drug case involving a former associate chemistry professor — dubbed the "Chinese version of Breaking Bad" — reflects the country's commitment to enforcing the law accurately and demonstrating a strong stance against drug crimes, a senior prosecutor said.

Hu Yaoxian, a prosecutor from the Supreme People's Procuratorate, China's top prosecuting body, made the remarks after the Hubei High People's Court overturned its previous judgment against a group of former chemistry professionals.

According to a statement released Thursday by the China National Narcotic Control Committee, the high court issued a new ruling in December after a retrial, finding Yang Zhaohui, Zhang Zhengbo, Bao Junxi, and Feng Jing guilty of smuggling, selling, transporting, and manufacturing drugs.

The court resentenced Yang and Zhang to life imprisonment and 15 years in prison, respectively, and upheld earlier sentences of eight years each for Bao and Feng.

In May 2023, the same court had sentenced Yang and Zhang to 13 years and 11 years in prison, respectively, but at the time, all four were convicted of illegal business operations, the committee said.

Prosecutors in Hubei challenged the ruling, arguing that the convictions and sentences were legally flawed and too lenient. In September 2023, they sought a review from the Supreme People's Procuratorate, according to JCRB.com, a news outlet under the procuratorate.

Hu emphasized that Chinese law explicitly defines drugs as narcotic and psychotropic substances regulated by the state that can cause addiction. He noted that the substances produced and sold by the four defendants were under state control and classified as drugs.

"The revised ruling aligns with the law," Hu said, adding that the changes in conviction and sentencing serve to rehabilitate the defendants, educate them on the societal harm caused by their actions, and deter future offenses.

He said the case sends a broader warning to the public that no one can illegally handle narcotic or psychotropic substances controlled by the state, reinforcing the principle of legal compliance.

"The prompt correction of the earlier flawed judgment highlights the accurate implementation of the law and underscores the nation's strict judicial policy on drug crimes," Hu said.

Chinese media previously reported that Zhang, a former associate chemistry professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, was a leading manufacturer of new psychoactive substances.

This case is a significant typical case of crimes involving new psychoactive substances in China. The defendant, Zhang Zhengbo, due to his special status as an associate professor, has been hyped as the "Chinese version of Breaking Bad," attracting widespread public attention.

Zhang and Yang, a former classmate, established a chemical company registered as a producer of pharmaceutical intermediates. However, they manufactured methcathinone and sold it in the United States and Europe disguised as ordinary chemical products.

The committee said Zhang and his employees were apprehended in June 2015. Investigators found that between January 2014 and June 2015, Zhang, Yang, Bao, and Feng produced and sold more than 110 kilograms of psychotropic drugs under state control.

In March 2017, the Wuhan Intermediate People's Court convicted the four of smuggling, selling, transporting, and producing drugs. Yang was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, Zhang received life imprisonment, and Bao and Feng were each sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The defendants appealed, and in April 2018, the high court sent the case back to the Wuhan court for retrial.

In June 2019, their sentences were reduced, but the original convictions were upheld. The latest ruling in December marks a significant legal correction in a high-profile case.